A YOUNG mother defrauded friends and kind-hearted strangers out of thousands of pounds by falsely claiming she had terminal cancer, a court heard today.

Danielle Watson received cut-price deals whilst pretending to have cancer including her wedding [EASTNEWS]

Danielle Watson, 24, who is now facing a jail sentence, said she had late-stage cervical cancer.

She received donations, freebies and cut-price deals for her upcoming wedding worth almost £10,000.

The admin assistant even brought forward her wedding to husband Chris by several months in 2012, telling well-wishers she wanted to walk up the aisle before radiotherapy and chemotherapy made her hair fall out.

In fact she had minor surgery for a treatable gynaecological condition and had never been diagnosed with cancer.

She aroused suspicions by failing to provide proof of her illness and demanding all donations be paid to her account.

Her own family all fell under the umbrella of that lie

Rebecca Blain

On her first day at court today, she denied six counts of fraud but then dramatically changed her pleas.

Rebecca Blain, for Watson, told Basildon Crown Court, sitting in Southend, Essex, that her client had been worried about getting an immediate prison sentence because of fears for her 18-month-old child.

Mrs Blain said of Watson's dishonesty over the cancer scare: "Her own family all fell under the umbrella of that lie.

"She has told friends and family and she will have to learn to live and come to terms with the fact that she has told them what are the most despicable lies."

Recorder Gerard Pounder said Watson, who is heavily pregnant, had "preyed on human kindness" and he could not guarantee she would avoid a custodial sentence.

Wedding planner Leigh Stewart gave Watson free help worth £1,100 through her Fantasy Dream Events business and then helped raise thousands more in donations.

Speaking outside court the 52-year-old mother of six said she had since closed down her business, partly because of what happened.

"She befriended and abused the trust of kind and generous people who wanted to help a person they thought was dying.

"She obtained significant financial gain, gifts and services from the kind hearted and at no point throughout the investigation did she demonstrate any form of remorse or shoulder the responsibility for her conduct.

"Watson's actions attracted national media coverage and sadly the greatest impact a case of this nature will have is that it could undermine future public fundraising efforts for genuine causes."

Watson, of Rowhedge, Colchester, appeared in the dock heavily pregnant and dressed all in black.

The court had earlier heard that friends and complete strangers gave Watson money and held fundraising events to provide cash for additional "vitamin C treatment" after being told she had a 15-20% chance of survival.

Others gave free or cut-price deals including a wedding dress worth £699 after hearing of her plight.

She also got free hair cuts and a reduced deal - including free champagne - on her wedding reception at the Ivory Rooms venue in Billericay.

Prosecutor Marcus Croskell said Watson was "involved in many aspects of fundraising from their conception".

He added: "At no stage was she told by a medical professional that she had any form of cancer, let alone stage four cervical cancer, and she has never had treatment for it.

"Any such assertions are dishonest and false."

Others events including a £1,640 Twitter auction, raffles, cake sales and fundraising nights at which she appeared raised almost £10,000 towards the vitamin C treatment, which costs £6,000 per cycle, the jury of seven women and five men heard.

In one interview with a local newspaper said she had "terminal" cancer and added that she was "hoping for a miracle", the jury was told.

In another, she said she had a "low chance" of survival, Mr Croskell added.